2 Sep 2009

A perfect spring schoolday

'O stop, stop,' cried the Mole in ecstacies: 'This is too much!' 'Do you really think so?' inquired the Rat seriously. 'It's only what I usually take on these little excursions; and the other animals are always telling me that I'm a mean beast and cut it very fine!'"

Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame

We're going on a picnic on this, the second day of spring.

I wonder why we don't capitalise seasons in English? Always intrigued me. We capitalise months of the year and days of the week but not seasons of the year. Curious - but I digress down one of those rabbit trails that you find when you speak of picnics.

Now this is why I love homeschooling - the picnic, not the grammar - well, one of the reasons, anyhow. I actually like the grammar too. But back to the picnic.

We'll be going down to the river. We're in a drought, you may recall, and so we won't be 'messing about with boats', but it is quite beautiful, the Avoca River, in its own Australian way.

Do you like the photo above? It's a Stave jigsaw puzzle from here. I absolutely love wooden jigsaw puzzles - the ones with certain pieces cut into recognisable shapes. This Wind in the Willows Picnic puzzle can even be personalised with your name and shapes of your choice. Seriously wild!!

Oh dear - another rabbit trail. See what you're responsible for, Thomas Austin? Spring does it to me you know - makes me vague and happy and wandery. What was I saying? Ah yes, the picnic.

We'll take our sketch books - we may do some nature study.

Maybe.

We'll take our free read books - we may do some reading.

Maybe.

What we will do is relax together, mother and daughter, and enjoy what our great God in his providence has put right here for us to enjoy on this beautiful spring day. Oh - and eat!! We'll be doing that - definitely!! Maybe not as sumptuously as Ratty and Mole, but we will have something special. Pink iced donuts are amongst Jemimah's favourites, so well take those. There are still Chocky Crackles on the go (the copha will give us energy...) and some lovely ripe bananas. Sandwidges too (did you notice that's how it is spelled above?) - multigrain bread, avocado, cheddar cheese, homegrown lettuce and mayo. We'll pack it all into a wicker basket and we'll spread a rug on the ground. It'll be grand.

We'll take the camera - we may take photos.

Maybe.

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 NIV

10 comments:

Oh, sounds lovely! Do take some pictures of your picnic!It's spring-ish here...but getting a little colder towards this end of the week, the temperature's expected to drop to 2 degrees (celsius) again for a few nights.

Oh my, my mouth is watering! Your picnic sounds so lovely, especially since we are still putting up with cloudy humidity here. I must plan a picnic on our own once the weather turns crisp and agreeable!

I guess we mainly slept on your beautiful Spring day. We had a lovely end of summer day and collected crickets. We'll be making Mrs. Comstock's cricket cage for some music appreciation and nature study.

For you

Newberys

•93 Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures•88 The Graveyard Book•83 The Tale of Despereaux•78 Holes•76 The View from Saturday•73 The Giver•69 Number the Stars•65 Sarah, Plain and Tall•63 Dear Mr Henshaw•60 Jacob Have I Loved•57 Bridge to Terabithia•56 Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry•51 Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH•50 Summer of the Swans•47 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler•42 A Wrinkle in Time•41 The Bronze Bow•38 The Witch of Blackbird Pond•37 Rifles for Watie•36 Miracles on Maple Hill•35 Carry On, Mr. Bowditch•34 The Wheel on the School•31 Ginger Pye•30 Amos Fortune, Free Man•29 The Door in the Wall•28 King of the Wind•27 The Twenty-One Balloons•25 Strawberry Girl•26 Miss Hickory•25 Strawberry Girl•24 Rabbit Hill•23 Johnny Tremain•18 Thimble Summer•15 Caddie Woodlawn•9 Hitty, Her First Hundred Years•8 The Trumpeter of Krakow•2 The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

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We're an Australian homeschooling family. We're passionate about the educator Charlotte Mason, the Ambleside Online curriculum, MEP maths, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia, Japanese aesthetics, French language, Asian travel, children's literature, our garden, and living a peaceful life in the country.

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